1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a secondary battery
2. Description of the Related Art
Secondary batteries are rechargeable batteries that are designed to be repeatedly charged and discharged, unlike primary batteries that are not designed to be recharged. A small-capacity rechargeable battery having a single pack electrode assembly is used in small portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, camcorders, and the like, while a large-capacity rechargeable battery having several tens of electrode assemblies connected to each other is widely used as a motor-driving power source, such as in an electric scooter, a hybrid vehicle, or an electric vehicle, or as a large-capacity power storage device.
Secondary batteries are manufactured in various shapes. For example, pouch-type batteries are typically used as batteries in electronic devices. Nowadays, the batteries for electronic devices are being developed to be slimmer and have higher capacities. Additionally, slimming of components of such batteries is ongoing.
However, slimmer, higher capacity batteries may not be as safe as larger, lower capacity batteries. For example, as batteries are becoming slimmer and capacities of the batteries increase, the batteries have become more vulnerable to impacts due to falling or collision and more vulnerable to compression, resulting in safety-related issues or concerns.